Wire fence.



Patented Aug. 22, I899.

No. 631,32l.

E. OWEN.

WI R E F E N C E.

(A licimon filed Jan. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN OWEN, OF SCOTTS, MICHIGAN.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent N 0. 631,321, dated August 22, 1899. Application filed January 26,1899. Serial No. 703,433. (No model.)

of the wires, Whether plain, barbed, or woven,

and to make a strong durable post suitable as end post or middle post in any fence, and as the braces of the post are buried under ground the post proper may be made ornamental. Among the objects is to provide the post with pulleys and a weight, the line-wires running under said pulleys and being attached to the weight in a manner to facilitate the lowering of the weight when the line-wires expand and the raising of the weight by the contraction of the line-wires in cold and warm weather.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the post, showing the line-wires dotted. Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken detail from Fig. 1, show: ing how the line-wire is attached to the weightsuspending means when said means is a chain; Fig. 3, an enlarged section on line a a in Fig.

' 1, showing additions below described; Fig. 4,

an enlarged horizontal section on line 0 c in tion looking against Fig. 1 from a point at the left; Fig. 6, a plan of the base of the post. Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line 0 c in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section on line 6 e in Fig. 7.

Referring to the parts of the drawings pointed out by numerals, 10 10 are upright parallel bars with a space between, as in Fig. 5, and they constitute that part of the post which is above the surface of the ground, said surface being indicated by thelines 88 in Figs. 1 and 5. There are two sets of the parallel bars 10, a little removed from each other, as

in Fig. 1, and the bars ofeach set are spaced from each other by the cross-bar 11 at the top sets of upright bars in their spaced relation to each other, as in Fig. 1. The lower por= tions of the bars 10 are bent obliquely from each other, as in Fig. 5, forming braces 13 at the sides of the post. The end braces 29 extend obliquely downward from the cross-bar 12, as in Fig. 1. The lower ends of these braces are attached to the base 14 of the post. A good form of base is shown in Fig. 6. All parts of the post below the line 3 s, as stated, are buried in the ground, and thus firmly support and brace the post.

To the upper cross-bar 11 is attached a pulley 15. There are two of these bars here shown, and the pulley 15 is between them, as in Figs. 1 and 5.

Between the sets of uprights 10 is a weight 16. This weight is suspended by a cable, or a wire, or a chain, or any suitable line. A cable or wire 17 is shown in Figs. 1 and 8 passing over the pulley 15, the end hanging down between the Weight and upright as far at least as the lowest line-wire. Between the bars 10 of each set are pulleys l8, and the line-wires 19 are arranged to come in contact with the pulleys 18 and their ends are at tached to the cable or wire 17, Fig. 1. The line-wires 19 are shown in Fig. l dotted just to indicate the arrangement. The wire or cable, or whatever weight-suspending means is used, is of course much stronger than the line-wires, so as to stand the strain. Should the line-wires expand in hot weather, the weight will automatically lower and take up the slack in the line-wires and keep them taut. The contraction of the line-wires in cold weather will of course raise the weight. As the cable and the line-wires run on pulleys, the action is very quick and easy. Fig. 3 shows a means of attaching the line-wires 19 to the wire or cable 17. A band 20 is clamped around the cable 17, and the ends of the line-wires 19 are run through a hole in the clamp at 21 and then twisted upon themselves at 22. By this means a general uniform tightening of each line-wire may be had when the fence is built. The clamped band 20 is held firml y on the wire or cable by a set-screw 23, which is forced hard against the cable, and if pointed, as I make them, will enter as in Fig. 3, and in any event I have found either plan sufficient to prevent the band from slipping. Thus if any one or a part of the linewires should expand more than others the extra slack can be taken up by moving the band of those wires which have become slacker than others up suificiently far on the cable, thus making them all approximately uniform again for the purchase of the weight upon them.

When a chain 30 is used to suspend the weight, I employ a hook 2 1, Fig. 2, and attach the end of the line-wires to the hooks as I attach them to the band 20 and for the same purpose. Then if one line wire expands more than another I adjust it by raising the hook and catching it in another link of the chain.

It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art of fence-building, in so far as the proportions of the parts in relation to their distances from each other are concerned, that they are fixed in different instances according to the needs. For instance, the distance from the upper line-wire fastener to the pulley 15 and the distance from the weight-line 17 to the pulleys 18 should be such that the upper fastener will not come in contact with the pulley 15 nor the weight-line 17 come in contact with the pulleys 18 when the line-wires 19 contract.

\Vhen the post is used as an intermediate post, the other set of upright bars 10 would be provided with pulleys 18, and the crossbar 11 would have another pulley 15, and another cable 17 would be employed. WVhen thus using two cables, they would attach to the weight a little at one side of its center, as in Fig. 1; but when used as an end post it would be best to attach the cable 17 to the center of the weight. The pulleys 18 are revolubly mounted on a box 27, said box being a little longer than the pulley, as in Fig. 7.

The boxes 27 are held at proper places between the bars 10 by bolts 28, and the boxes not only form a bearing-surface for the pulleys, but prevent the bars 10 of each set from springing together.

Fig. 4 shows how the bars 10 maybe made of angled or U-shaped metal and thus better protect the pulleys from the weather.

The weight 16 may be of any suitable material and construction, but a good plan is to make it cup-shaped, say of tiling with a bottom, and fill with sand or gravel mixed with cement. They may be molded solid out of cement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

The combination of the braced posts, consisting of the parallel separated uprights, a series of spaced pulleys between said separated nprights, spaced cross-bars attached to the upper ends of the uprights, a weight-line pulley between said cross-bars, a weight-line provided with a weight at one end and passed over said pulley and hanging down between the weight and uprights and terminating as low at least as the lowest line-wire, a series of line-wires in contact with the series of the pulleys of the uprights and adjustably attached at diiferent points to the down-hanging free portion of the weight-line, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN OWEN.

Witnesses:

A. HENRY, W. RANSOM. 

